Zack Hill by John Deering and John Newcombe for August 24, 2011

Now if they can just get rid of the shrink wrap in the meat department.

Actually, the bags are much better than the idiotic plastic bags. I was so sick of the days when the bagger would put two items in every bag. Now I get an actual load in each bag and only have to carry three or four total. They’ve been doing this in Europe for decades, and it works well. BTW, the reusable bags only cost 99 cents where we live.

I’ve gotten several reusable bags free from a few retailers. I think it would be entirely fair to charge customers a small fee for using disposable bags from the store… but none of the grocery stores near me do that. They offer it as a free choice. I think most places do. Sometimes Deering veers a bit toward arguing with a straw man… like here.

Around here, all the grocery stores COLLECT your plastic bags for re-cycling. They have a big can at the entrances for that purpose.

I have a feeling Carl doesn’t like it.

$9.95?!? Every grocery store I’ve been to has had them under $2!

We love our reusable bags. They’re stronger, hold more stuff, handy around the house, and we’ve never paid more than a dollar for them. AND some stores around our house even give us 5 or 6 cents credit for each one we use at the checkout.